6 December 2006
Gowers Review of Intellectual Property
In December 2005, the Chancellor of the Exchequer asked Andrew Gowers to conduct an independent review into the UK Intellectual Property Framework. The Review was published on 6th December 2006 and can be accessed at the links below.
Intellectual Property is a critical component of our present and future success in the global economy. The UK's economic competitiveness is increasingly driven by knowledge-based industries, especially in manufacturing, science-based sectors and the creative industries.
The IP framework must create incentives for innovation, without unduly limiting access for consumers and follow-on innovators. The Review examined the instruments of Intellectual Property i.e. patents, copyright, designs and trade marks, to ensure that they are balanced, coherent and flexible, and at the operations; how IP is awarded, used, and enforced. The Review also considered the governance of IP. The terms of reference are available.
The Review sets out a number of targeted, practical recommendations to deliver a robust Intellectual Property framework fit for the digital age. The principle recommendations of the Review are aimed at
- tackling IP crime and ensuring that rights are well enforced;
- reducing the costs and complexity of the system; and
- reforming copyright law to allow individuals and institutions to use content in ways consistent with the digital age.
The document is available in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). If you do not have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer you can download the software free of charge from the Adobe website. For alternative ways to read PDF documents and further information on website accessibility visit the HM Treasury accessibility page.
PDF file of Gowers Review of Intellectual Property
Press Notice: Gowers sets out intellectual property system fit for the digital age
Gowers Review index
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